They were joined by Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jr. (24-0, 13 KOs) and Jorge “Pilon” Lara (29-0-2, 21 KOs) who will face off in the co-main event in a 12-round WBC Featherweight title eliminator; and by HBO Pay-Per-View® undercard fighters Randy “El Matador” Caballero (24-0, 14 KOs) and Diego De La Hoya (19-0, 9 KOs) who will face off in a 10-round super bantamweight battle for the Caballero’s NABF Super Bantamweight title and the vacant NABO Super Bantamweight title; and by Ryan “Blue Chip” Martin (19-0, 11 KOs) and Francisco Rojo (20-2, 13 KOs), who will battle it out for Ryan’s WBC Continental Americas and the vacant WBA Intercontinental lightweight titles in the opening bout of the HBO Pay-Per-View®telecast.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s grand arrivals:

CANELO ALVAREZ, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion:

“I’m very happy. I’m very excited to be here and to be back with my people, and this is another fight. This is another fight that will go down in history. And I’m very happy to be joined here by all my people. With the promotions and all the back and forth, it’s become personal. It’s a fight that all the fans and all the media have been waiting for for years.”

“I can assure you that I will do my part and I will do my best to give you all a beautiful fight. The most important thing for me is victory. I always prepare myself to give the best. I want this for my people, my team, for my country. And that’s what I’m going to do this Saturday. I’m going to go in there and win the fight. I prepared myself for the knockout. Look, anything can happen in this fight. But that’s what I’ve prepared for–to knock him out.”

GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, WBC/WBA/IBF/IBO Middleweight Champion:

“It’s amazing to be in Las Vegas. But the bigger thing is the fight is finally here. I am Gennady Golovkin until I walk into the ring. And that’s when I turn into Triple G. It’s not that I’m mean, or angry. I’m just more focused. This is the perfect fight for fans. And the perfect fight for me. I will enjoy it.”

“I’ve wanted him [Alvarez] because of the Cotto fight when he became the mandatory challenger. I’m old school. I think there should just be one champion. All my career I’ve been denied the fights I’ve wanted [Felix Sturm, Sergio Martinez, Miguel Cotto]. That ends Saturday night.”

JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ, JR., Featherweight Contender:

“It’s amazing. It’s motivation for me. I trained very hard to give all the fight fans a great fight in this exciting co-main event. I know that everyone is expecting the main event to be fireworks. And it is going to be fireworks. The co-main event is going to be fireworks. We’ve got two undefeated fighters fighting in a WBC Featherweight Title Eliminator, so there’s a lot at stake.”

“When I first got the call. my manager called me and told me that I would be fighting in the co-main event on the Canelo-Golovkin card. I just looked up to God and praised him. And I thought ‘This is my time. This is my coming out party. This is my time to showcase.'”

JORGE “PILON” LARA, Featherweight Contender:

“I’m excited to be here and excited to be on such a big card. I’m also excited to be fighting against such a great rival like Joseph Diaz Jr., and on Saturday I expect to end with my hand up in the air. I don’t know much about him [Diaz]. I know that he is undefeated, so he’s got to be a pretty hard opponent. I did prepare myself well for this. You can see that I’m going to steal the show because everyone knows that when I come to fight, I come to fight.”

RANDY “EL MATADOR” CABALLERO, NABF Super Bantamweight Champion:

“Of course it’s intense. That’s the whole part of this sport. You get these fans. Look at all of the fans who are out here. We get them excited for these fights. You have two undefeated fighters who will give it their all inside of the ring. We’re going to perform at our best. We’re both ready to put on a great show, to be on this great card, and to perform in front of all these great fans. It’s an amazing opportunity to give it our all.”

“Training camp was amazing. I feel good. I feel ready. I’m motivated by the fans and the support that I get from my team. They get me ready for this. This is a great opportunity Golden Boy gave me, to be live on pay-per-view. I’m just going to take full advantage of it.”

DIEGO DE LA HOYA, WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight Champion:

“It’s nothing personal. Look, in the ring, we’re enemies. Outside of the ring we can be friends. I just want to give the fans a great fight. Because we’re all going to win this Saturday. The Mexican fans will win.”

“It’s a card that everybody wishes they were on. It’s a very big event, and I’m just very happy and very fortunate, and I’m going to show the world because there’s going to be millions watching who Diego De La Hoya is. I’m going to give my soul because I’m coming to win.”

RYAN “BLUE CHIP” MARTIN, WBC Continental Americas Champion:

“It’s my first fight in Las Vegas. This is a tremendous turnout. I’m super excited to be here. Great fans. Great atmosphere. I’m ready to put on a show Saturday night, a boxing clinic. And I hope you guys will be there to see it.”

“[Rojo] is a tough fighter. He’s a top fighter in the WBC. But’s all about me. I’m going to put on a great show Saturday night–a straight boxing clinic. So it’s just fun for me Saturday night. I’m just going to go in there and do my thing. All of the hard work has been done between me and my team, and Saturday night is just going to be a showcase.”

Canelo vs. Golovkin is a 12-round fight for the middleweight championship of the world presented by Golden Boy Promotions and GGG Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD; Hennessy, Never Stop, Never Settle; O’Reilly Auto Parts. Better Parts, Better Prices…everyday!; Fred Loya Insurance; Interjet; Thor: Ragnarok; Fathom Events; Tsesnabank; and Capital Holdings. Diaz, Jr. vs. Lara is 12-round WBC Featherweight Title Eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Caballero vs. De La Hoya is a 10-round fight for the NABF and vacant NABO Super Bantamweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Martin vs. Rojo is a 10-round lightweight fight for the WBC Continental Americas and vacant WBA Intercontinental Championships presented by Golden Boy Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Cancun Boxing. The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 16 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at a special time of 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the closed circuit telecast of Canelo vs. Golovkin at Bellagio Resort & Casino, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, The Mirage Hotel & Casino, Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Luxor Hotel and Casino and Circus Circus Las Vegas are priced at $75, not including applicable fees. All seats are general admission and are currently on sale. Tickets may be purchased at any MGM Resorts International Box Office, by phone with a major credit card at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

LA landmarks, US Olympic cities will light up to celebrate LA 2028

US Olympic cities Lake Placid, Squaw Valley and St. Louis will join in lighting celebration

Lima, Peru – On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, iconic Los Angeles landmarks and buildings across the city will light up to support LA 2028 in honor of the International Olympic Committee’s final host city announcement tomorrow in Lima, Peru. United States Olympic cities Lake Placid (1980), Squaw Valley (1960) and St. Louis (1906) will also light up venues in support.

Iconic locations such as Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Bowl, and the US Bank Tower will be illuminated in the colors of LA’s dramatic sunsets and the LA 2028 logo to mark the return of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to the City of Angels. The colorful show of support from around the city and nation show’s LA 2028’s commitment to partner with the city’s creative and entertainment community to inspire young people from around the world to engage and stay in sport.

Other US Olympic host cities will also show their support of LA 2028. Lake Placid will light its 1980 Olympic ice hockey venue, Squaw Valley will illuminate its iconic Olympic sign, and St. Louis will light up the exterior of St. Louis Union Station.

LA 2024 CEO Gene Sykes said: “The nearly 50 landmarks and buildings glowing in LA 2028 colors show how excited our city and our country are to bring the Games back and underscore the spectacular setting that Los Angeles offers for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028. This show of support demonstrates our city’s wealth of entertainment venues, cultural attractions and natural treasures that, enhanced by the power of Hollywood storytelling, will help LA 2028 engage a brand new generation of Olympic and Paralympic enthusiasts.”

Photos will be uploaded to the LA 2028 Flickr account after buildings are lit.